From Ice to Water
by distant reminiscence
Summary: In a world where the Prince of Tennis characters' sexes are flipped, Echizen Ryoma and Ryuusake Sakurai live in totally different realities. One fateful day, these two opposites collide... Disclaimer: PoT belongs to Konomi Takeshi, not me.
1. Confusion

**From Ice to Water...**

**_

* * *

_**

_Ryoma's interest in her can of Ponta suddenly disintegrated when her eyes fell upon him. _

_Who is "him", you ask? "Him" is the most popular boy, and the best tennis player, in the school. "Him" is the beautiful, well-known and beloved Sakurai!!! _

_Ryuusake Sakurai was the Prince of Tennis. Literally, he owned tennis. Girls (cough cough Eiko cough cough) fawned over him day and night. Yet Sakurai was the shy type, not quite sure about girls yet, and so his life only revolved around tennis. Nothing more and nothing less. Period. _

_Echizen Ryoma was the Princess of Soccer. Literally, she owned soccer. Boys (cough cough Tomoro cough cough) fawned over her day and night. Yet Ryoma was the nonchalant type, not quite caring about boys yet, and so her life only revolved around soccer. Nothing more and nothing less. Period. _

_When, one fateful day, these two teens from completely different worlds collide. _

Dan Taichi ran down the halls, holding his purple banana in hand, trying hard not to squeeze it to death. _Oh no! _Dan thought as he rounded the corner into the Janitors' Bathroom (yes, janitors have their own special bathrooms, if you did not already know). _I am late! I am late! For a very important date! _

He stopped and grinned to himself. "To a very important date… To a very important date… Ha ha, to a very important date…" he repeated over and over again. His face glowed with pleasure as those words rolled over his tongue.

For Dan-chan had not been running to a court session. No, you nimcompoops, he is not the White Rabbit. Idiots…

No, Dan Taichi actually has a date with a girl!!!

"OOOOOOOOOOOOH!" one might say to him. Though his only reply would be to exclaim "I KNOW, ISN'T THAT SO 'OOOOOOOOOOOOH!'?" while beaming.

Because Dan-chan was dating the girl of his wildest dreams.

Because Dan-chan was dating the infamous soccer star.

Because Dan-chan was dating Echizen Ryoma.

- - -

Ryoma sat elegantly in the classroom, waiting for someone. Who that someone might be, she didn't even know. Yet she waited nonetheless.

When young Dan Taichi entered the classroom, he was smitten by her beautiful outfit at first sight! His eyes glazed over and he began to imagine who knows what. Ryoma just sat there, staring coolly at Dan, probably not having a clue about why he was standing there.

"…Dan-chan?" Ryoma finally muttered.

Dan blinked out of his trance and replied, "Yes, Ryoma-chan?"

"What are you doing here?"

Dan looked slightly confused. "Well, I thought t-that we arranged t-to meet here…"

"…Huh?"

"Well… I thought we were… having a date…" Dan murmured.

"Wait, what?? I'm only here because some teacher of mine emailed me about having private lessons after school here…"

Dan blinked. "I thought… I thought _you _emailed me saying that you'd meet me here… on-on a date…"

"Mada mada da ne…" Ryoma sighed, popping open a can of Ponta to relieve her frustration

"But who would do this?!" Dan exclaimed, heartbroken and close to tears.

"Dunno…" Ryoma muttered between gulps. _Akutsu-san is a suspect..._ she thought to herself. She then gets up, pats young Dan on the back and then walks out, apparently in need of something more interesting to do. _Soccer comes to mind_, she thought as she headed for the locker room.

Dan Taichi, lonesome and depressed, was left standing in the doorway of the classroom, with a wilted purple banana in his hand. To make his depression even worse, he just realized that the banana wasn't actually purple.

It was burple.

* * *

**Note from the Author: Sorry if the first chapter's a little weird... I was just fooling around when I started this. I hadn't intented to write a whole story with it. I ensure you that the next few chapters will be a be better.**


	2. First Encounter

**From Ice to Water...**

* * *

Ryoma walked through the school campus, towards the soccer field. Kicking a soccer ball with her and wearing her favorite metallic blue cleats, she was ready and prepared to do some heavy-duty soccer practice!

As she strolled carelessly while drinking another can of her precious Ponta, a swift movement to her left caught her eye.

She turned and saw _him practicing in the courts_.

"Him" being Ryuusake Sakurai. "Him" being the infamous first-year tennis prodigy. "Him" being the Prince of Tennis.

But it was odd. Ryoma had never heard of Sakurai before.

- - -

_"Sakurai is just sooooooo awesome! He's, like, the best tennis player ever and a total hottie!! Everyone calls him The Samurai! Isn't that so cool?!" exclaims Eiko._

_She continues to blabber on about how in love she is with Sakurai. _

_Ryoma just sits next to her, pretending to listen intently but actually just drinking some Ponta and thinking about which technique she should use when playing her stupid old mother today. She doesn't actually process one word Eiko is saying to her. _

_- - -_

_"Hey, Ryoma! Did you hear about that tennis prodigy? You know, that one called Sakurai or something?"_

_"MADA MADA DA NE, YANAGISAWA-SAN!!!!" crumples Ponta can_

_"Mada mada? Sou da ne!"_

_"...Oy, she's having yet _another _'Da ne Off' with Yanagi-chan... (man, I'm hungry)..."_

_- - -_

_"Echizen! Ryuusake-kun and his team won again! Their going to nationals soon! My tennis data is growing by the minute!"_

_"Then why don't you join the tennis team, Sadaharu-senpai --- NO! STUPID MACHINE!" kicks the vending machine, trying to get her stuck Ponta can out_

_"Hey, good idea, Echizen! Should I?"_

_"ARGH! GIVE -- ME -- MY -- PONTA!" _

_"..."_

_- - -_

So one could wonder why Echizen Ryoma is the only girl in school that does not know about The Samurai.

And so Ryoma, not knowing who this mysterious tennis player was (the reasons for this we've discussed above), stared at him in wonder. The anonymous boy did not notice her standing there outside the courts, watching him in awe and amazement as he practiced.

Ryoma was not much of a tennis person. Actually, Ryoma was not much of a "life in general" person. She was rather a "soccer and Ponta (and 'mada mada da ne') are my life" person. So it was new to her to have this sudden interest in tennis. Just by watching The Samurai in action.

By the time Sakurai had stopped practicing and went to grab a drink, Ryoma was waiting on the other side of the fence, Ponta still in hand. Sakurai abruptly froze when he saw her.

Some could say it was love at first sight.

For Sakurai _had indeed_ fallen in love at first sight. With Ryoma's Ponta, that is.

"Say, can I borrow that drink? Well... I suppose not _borrow_ but I'll pay you back... okay?" he said, huffing and breathing deeply from his exercise.

Ryoma remained motionless and quiet, still looking at Sakurai and his tennis racket (which was quite oddly shaped). Sakurai fidgeted under Ryoma's creepy gaze (which was actually supposed express reverence but you know Ryoma... frankly, her eyes are just... well, _creepy...)_

"Umm... you know what? Never mind... I'll buy my own, thanks though..." Sakurai mumbled, inching his way towards the vending machines. Ryoma's eyes followed him as he began to run.

Sakurai looked behind him but the girl wasn't there. _Good_, he thought. _That girl was _weird. He shuddered, remembering her eerie eyes.

He turned around and came face to face with Ryoma.

"AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Sakurai screamed, coming to a halt right before they were about to collide. Ryoma just stands there, like a statue, though this time reducing the creepiness of her expression by wearing a gleaming smile.

"W-who... H-How'd you get here?!" Sakurai croaked, shaken by her sudden appearance. Ryoma looked quizzical.

"Duh, same way you did. Ran," she said, sipping casually from her Ponta.

_Whoa, she's fast. And yet not one hint of fatigue on her face... and I thought _I _was running fast... wow..._ He muttered to himself in incredulity. Then he started wheezing.

"Ponta?" she asked, grinning and holding out her precious drink.

Sakurai took the can gratefully from her hands. "Thanks!" he replied and proceeded to gulp down the whole can in what seemed like a matter of milliseconds. Then he burped.

"I'll pay you back tomorrow," he said, after excusing himself. "You're in my grade, right?"

Ryoma just waved her hand at him. "Seventh? Yes. And you don't have to pay me back."

"But, I—"

"You _don't_ have to pay me back," she repeated, this time making it sound like a command. He nodded, kind of dumbstruck by her tone.

"Mada mada da ne," she said, grinning. Then she walked off, kicking her soccer ball ahead with her hair rippling in the breeze.


	3. Anger Management?

**From Ice to Water...**

_**

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The next day, Ryoma sat at her desk, looking out the classroom window, gazing longingly at the lush, green grass in the soccer field.

_Just waiting for me and my cleats to squish and kill, _she thought devilishly.

She'd almost completely forgotten about yesterday's encounter with that tennis boy. Yanagaisawa-san had beaten her in yet another "Da ne Off" and it got her so mad that she lost all memory of meeting the tennis boy and her new-found tennis interest. All she remembers now is that her Ponta was missing therefore someone must have stolen it, though she didn't know who. Those who knew her well agreed that, when Ryoma found out did it, they'd pity the poor soul, whoever that may be, for Ryoma was known to have a vengeance.

As Ryoma continued to daydream about how she'd definitely beat Ducky-san in their next "Da ne Off", Kunimitsu-chan stood at the doorway of the classroom, looking for Ryoma.

"Echizen!" she called.

Ryoma turned and her face lit up. "BUCHOU!!" she cried with delight, enthusiastically running up to Kunimitsu-chan.

"I came to talk to you about a serious issue," Kunimitsu said. _Figures, _Ryoma thought. _Her voice did sound serious! ___

"Yes, Buchou, I shall work on my Drive B Kick for our next game against Fudoumine! We'll crush 'em! Especially that Ibu Shinji..." she said darkly, saying the name in disgust. Her hand moved instinctively to her eye, which has healed already but left a scar.

"No, no, not talking 'bout that... It's Fuji-kun!" she sang. "I really don't know what to get him for our nine-month anniversary!" Kunimitsu muttered worriedly, her eyes sparkling just at the thought of Fuji.

_That figures too, _Ryoma though. _Ever since they started dating, it's just been Fuji, Fuji, Fuji! I just don't get what she sees in that guy (other than the prodigy junk)..._

"I dunno, Buchou... just get him the same thing as you did for your four-month anniversary or something..." Ryoma mumbled.

Kunimitsu gasped. "No way! The horror! You really don't know _anything _about love, do you?!!"

"No, I don't! So why don't you go ask Eiko or Momoko or someone who _does _know!" Ryoma shouted furiously. With that, her buchou stomped off to look for Eiko or Momoko.

Ryoma was pissed. "Man, the Buchou I know on the field is so amazing and inspirational and serious and dedicated and motivating!! But the "Kunimitsu-chan" who dates Syuusuke Fuji can be so girly and so lovey-dovey, it's sickening," she muttered, disgusted by her idol's other side.

"Mada – mada – DA – NE!!!!!" she roared, punctuating each word with a punch at the wall. On "NE" she actually punched a hole into the wall. "Whoops..." she mumbled, worrying about how she was gonna explain this to the teacher. This must've been the 20th time she's so-called "vandalized" the school.

"Anger management?" someone suggested behind her.

Ryoma whirled around to see Sakurai leaning against the wall, amused. "Nice hole you made there!"

"Huh... and who might you be?" she asked.

"W-What, you forgot??" Sakurai stuttered, taken aback. "Well, maybe this'll jog your memory." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a can.

"Ponta?" he offered, holding out the can. "Sorry, I'm paying you back."

Ryoma suddenly recalled yesterday's events. "HEY!!" she exclaimed, excited. "YOU!"

Sakurai blinked. "Yea, me..." he said, surprised by the sudden change in attitude. Embarrassed, he looked around to check if anyone was watching them.

"Sorry," Ryoma apologized. "Sudden flashback... Anyways, you're that guy from yesterday! I saw you playing tennis! You were awesome, man!"

Shy little Sakurai, being the modest guy he is, shrugged nonchalantly and blushed. "Nah, it wasn't all that great..."

"No way, I was amazed! Now I like tennis! What's your name?"

"Sakurai. Ryuusake Sakurai. If you've heard of Coach Ryuusake, I'm his son."

Ryoma's mind suddenly clicked. "Hey, I remember my friends Eiko, Momoko and Sadaharu talking about you! Guess I wasn't paying enough attention to what they were saying...hmm..."

Sakurai laughed nervously. "Yeah, people talk 'bout me sometimes..."

"Aren't you called 'The Samurai' and 'The Prince of Tennis'?"

"Yeah, by some..."

Ryoma, with her short attention span and whatnot, just shrugged.

"Okay, well, see you around, Sakurai-kun!" and with that she walked off muttering "Mada mada da ne..." leaving Sakurai standing in the hall, speechless.

"What a _weird_ girl..." Sakurai though aloud.

"_Weirder than you think, da ne!"_


	4. Ducky's Appearance

**From Ice to Water...**

* * *

Sakurai jumped at the sound of the uncanny voice. Yanagisawa had popped up behind him.

"Whoa! Who are you?!!" Sakurai exclaimed.

"Yanagisawa from St. Rudolph, da ne! Nice to meet you!" the scary-looking and scary-sounding girl said.

"Wait... why are you here and not at school?" Sakurai wondered, confused. He was more confused when Yanagisawa looked just as perplexed.

"Yeah, I do not know... hm... Ah! My ducky, da ne! My rubber ducky is here, I think! I lost him, you see... I shall save you my dear ducky, da ne! _Rubber ducky, you're the one, da ne!_" Yanagisawa sang, tears in her eyes.

"Okay... wait a sec, hold it..." Sakurai said, stopping the freaky girl (or duck, he truly couldn't tell) from jumping out the window. "Tell me, da ne-chan, what did you mean when you said that that girl was 'weirder than I thought'?"

"Two words, my friend. MADA – MADA – DA – NE," she said, articulating each word. "Echizen Ryoma loves that phrase. Weird, da ne... I mean, who's so obsessive over a dumb old _phrase, _da ne??"

Sakurai stood silently staring at the girl.

"Good luck with life," he said softly to Yanagisawa, patting her shoulder reassuringly as he passed her. Then he ran away.

"Da ne?" Yanagisawa muttered, puzzled. She shrugged. "...Where be my rubber ducky????!!!!!"


	5. Ice

**From Ice to Water...**

* * *

****

****

_Here's a list of a few Sakurai fans or secret admirers: _

_Kikumaru Eiko _

_Oshitari Yuushi (sorry, these aren't really girl names but I didn't know how to translate them so TT...)  
Sengoku Kiyosumi _

_Atobe Kei _

_(Wanted to add Yukimura here but since he was basically a girl in the real story, he's switches to a guy in this story so he can't like Sakurai XD) _

_Akutagawa Jiroh _

_Arai-chan _

_Wakato Hiroshi _

_Marui Bunta _

_And so many other girls from Seigaku _

_Here's a list of a few Ryoma fans or secret admirers: _

_Tomoro-kun _

_Dan Taichi (as we all know) _

_Tanaka Youhei _

_Tanaka Kouhei _

_And so many other guys from schools all over (since we don't know too many guys) _

_As you can clearly see, Sakurai and Ryoma could have easily scored any girl/boy they wanted. There was a whole range of choice too. Sakurai could have chosen the hyper and lovable kind of girl, Eiko, yet he didn't. He also could've chosen the cool and "I-wear-glasses-just-to-look-cool" type of girl, Oshitari Yuushi, yet he didn't. Or even the "I-love-everything-about-myself-and-you-should-bow-at-my-feet" and rich type, for which Kei-chan would've been the best choice. Yet no, neither Sakurai nor Ryoma wanted anyone. They turned down anyone who wanted them. _

_"Why? Isn't that just plain old stupid?" one could ask. _

_The answer is yes. Of course it's plain old stupid. _

_Yet to Sakurai, he only wanted tennis. _

_And to Ryoma, she only wanted soccer (and, of course, Ponta and her catch phrase) _

_So in a way, Sakurai and Ryoma were like ice. Cold, strong, and independent. _

_But there's one quality of ice that most people fail to include._

_

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_

**Note from the Author: Sorry this and the chapter before this were so short. **


	6. The Battle of Ponta

**From Ice to Water...**

* * *

Sakurai sat under the maple tree, leaning his head against the firm trunk.

"Man, that Yanagisawa-chan... What a freaky girl... or duck..." he muttered out loud. "Yet didn't she call that Ponta girl 'Echizen Ryoma'?"

Sakurai sighed and shut his eyes.

One thing Sakurai failed to notice was a shadowy figure, hunched over and sitting on one of the maple's high branches, listening to every word Sakurai was saying.

Eyes still closed, Sakurai began to think aloud. "Isn't, isn't Echizen Ryoma the soccer girl? The one that's supposedly called 'The Princess of Soccer'? Nah... no way... and if she _is_ then she copied my name! Haha, but still no way is she the infamous soccer star! But she _did _run really fast yesterday...hmm... I don't see why I even care... yet that girl is very amusing, ha ha! Except when she acted like all the other fan girls... but... yeah, she's so funny... ha! I'm so weird... I wonder if she's – nah, forget it, what are you thinking, Sakurai?? Argh... hehe, rubber ducky J ... haha, I'm deliri — OW!!!!"

A Ponta can fell from the sky and hit Sakurai on his head. The impact later left a huge bruise. Sakurai picked up the can and looked up.

There was Ryoma, sitting on a branch almost 20 feet off the ground, waving casually.

"My bad," She laughed, holding out her hand to show that she wanted the Ponta back.

"Yeah, well, _my Ponta_," Sakurai teased. He popped open the Ponta can and gulped down its contents. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryoma watch, clearly in pain, sad that it was not her gulping down the beloved drink.

"Ahhhh," Sakurai sighed happily, pretending to show pure satisfaction and delight. "Now that was one refreshing Ponta!"

He looked up to see if Ryoma was jealous but instead, he saw Ryoma's body hurtling down at him at an alarming speed.

_Stupid gravity_, was the last thought he had before Ryoma landed on him and they both crumpled onto the soft grass.

"Why, you little Ponta-stealing, evil, wicked, heartless Samurai! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU JUST DID! PAY, I TELL YOU!" Ryoma roared, punching Sakurai on his arm repeatedly.

"Ow! Ow! Hey, stop! Ow! I was just playing, Ryoma – haha, stop hitting me!!" Sakurai laughed, playfully punching back (lightly, no da).

Ryoma suddenly stopped, got up, and ran off, calling behind her back "Stay RIGH THERE! DON'T YOU DARE MOVE!" And then she disappeared.

Sakurai got up and rubbed his arm. _Jeez, she punches hard, _he moaned to himself but a smile stole across his face nonetheless.

Ryoma came back with her hands behind her back. Sakurai was suspicious.

"What's behind you're back?" he asked cautiously, backing up slowly while she inched closer.

"Why, nothing!" she said with a devilish grin. "Just this Ponta!"

And with that she revealed the Ponta, directed the top at Sakurai's face, and popped it open. The soft drink burst out of the can, splashing all its contents onto his face.

After, Ryoma drank the rest in the can. "Ha," she said, triumphantly.

Sakurai stood there, eyes wide and jaw dropped, Ponta dripping from his face and hair. Then he started to laugh. "Oh no you didn't... you didn't just spill Ponta on my FAVORITE JERSEY, DID YOU?!" he hollered maniacally at Ryoma. He magically conjured up another can of Ponta from his backpack and started shaking it rapidly.

Ryoma back away. "Oh no, don't you DARE!"

But he did dare.

And so began the 2006 Battle of Ponta.

- - -

With no winner, both Sakurai and Ryoma lay in the grass, their clothes and hair all damp and sticky with Ponta.

"Just because of you, I spend all my lunch money for the week on Pontas! I'm broke now, thanks!" Sakurai complained. Ryoma laughed.

"Mada mada da ne, Sakurai-kun," she said, licking Ponta droplets from her fingers.

They were quiet for a while. Then Ryoma suddenly jumped up.

"Dammit!" she shouted. "Soccer!"

She grabbed her stuff and then ran off.

Sakurai had no tennis practice the whole week (the coach was away). He watched Ryoma run off but then got an idea. He began to hear towards the soccer fields.

- - -

Ryoma walked to the sidelines, exhausted and thirsty after practice. _Dang, I can't even buy anymore Ponta, _she realized regretfully. When she lifted her head, though, a can of Ponta was in her face. Holding the can out to her was Sakurai.


	7. Water

**From Ice to Water...**

* * *

_Ryoma and Sakurai ended up hanging out a lot together. Ryoma began to learn tennis from The Prince of Tennis. Sakurai began to learn soccer from The Princess of Soccer._

_Actually, Ryoma and Sakurai ended up being girlfriend/boyfriend. Who would've thought it?_

_Sakurai played even better in tennis with Ryoma cheering for him on the benches. Ryoma played better in soccer as well with Sakurai cheering for her on the sidelines. Both of them started to become more open and social. No longer will amateur writers such as me call Ryoma a "soccer and Ponta (and 'mad mada da ne') are my life" kind of person anymore. Sure, Ryoma's life still mainly revolved around those three but now Ryoma has much more to life for. No longer will Sakurai be known as shy, quiet , and immensely-talented-in-tennis but rather happy, outgoing, and immensely-talented-in-tennis._

_So now we go back to the ice analogy._

_Before Sakurai and Ryoma met, they were, in a way, like ice. Cold, strong, and independent._

_Yet that one quality, that one characteristic of ice that many fail to find as important, that many fail to mention, is that ice melts._

_Ice melts pretty easily too. All it needs is warmth. And not that much, either._

_So if we look back at the comparison of ice to Sakurai and Ryoma, we realize something. Sakurai and Ryoma were like ice. And like ice all they needed was warmth to melt them. So when they fell in love, they melted._

_Why?_

_Because love is warmth._

_And after ice melts, what is it? Something that is like ice in some ways but has more optimistic qualities._

_Water._


	8. Ducky's Return

**From Ice to Water...**

* * *

"Hey, Yanagisawa here! I just wanted to inform you all that I found my rubber ducky!"

"...Mada mada da ne..."


End file.
